The first trial court found in the FDLE’s
favor. But Silva appealed, and the 1st
District Court of Appeals reversed the
decision. There’s a reason why juvenile
records should be private, according to
Silva. With the current explosion of data
mining, information from an arrest could
imperil a young person’s chance at a job,
financial aid or credit in the future.

Silva says the girl, now an adult, has notbeen in trouble since.“It’s nice to know you can have an effecton the futures of young children,” she says.At the office, Silva, 40, is a magnet forthe younger lawyers.

“There’s no doubt, if they have a
question, that they can ask Effie,” Coleman
says. She’ll have lunch with them or even
drinks after work. In return, they scramble
to work on her cases and try to absorb
some legal expertise.

“She’s very gracious in sharing herknowledge with younger lawyers,” saysStapleton. “She’s gracious with everybody.”On the Orange Bowl Committee, Silvaplans to work on a program to inspiregirls, particularly from minority families,to play golf, a difficult sport to pick upbecause of the costs involved. It willcombine golf lessons with life lessons inovercoming obstacles.

Professionally, she is a fellow in theLeadership Council on Legal Diversity andthe Florida Bar Leadership Academy. “Ihave been identified as someone the statebar and other bars are willing to invest in,”Silva says. “These opportunities can giveme the skills I need to help others and alsoto advance higher in my career.”It’s also important to reach down andhelp others—especially other women—succeed, she says.

“Unless you’ve seen it,” she says, “it’snot real. … You have to be able to seeyourself as her.”Silva is always on the lookout foropportunities for women attorneys.

Recently, she invited one young femaleassociate to speak at a CLE and madesure another got to attend the HispanicNational Bar Association’s corporatecounsel meeting.

“I also am frequently approached bywomen in law school or at other firmslooking for guidance,” she says. “I alwaysmake an effort to meet with these folks andstay in touch with them, because others didthat for me.”Looking out over the view fromher firm’s 45th-story window, Silvathinks about the future. She says shehasn’t thought much about going for ajudgeship, though “you can never saynever.” And politics? She’s not ruling thatout, either.

“Ever since I was a little kid,” shenotes, “my mother always called me‘Senator Silva.’”